Toilet-comb.



No. 780,540. PATENTE-D JAN. 24, 1905" N. THOMAS.

TOILET 00MB.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1904.

ahT/wmas, Inventor.

Httomegs UNITED STATES Patented. January 24, 1905.

NOAH THOMAS, OF LONDON, OHIO.

TOILET-COMB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,540, dated January 24, 1905.

Application filed August 23,1904. Serial No. 221,873.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NoAI-I THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at London, in the county of Madison and State of Ohio, have invented anew and usefulToilet-Comb, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combs for toilet purposes, and has for its object to provide an improved collapsible comb capable of being folded into compact form for convenience in carrying in a pocket of the clothing and also arranged to be readily set up in position for use.

With these objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the comb-sections, and thereby bring thetips the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating several sections of the comb of the present invention in position to be assembled. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the comb with the sections assembled and drawn out into position for use. Fig. 3 is an end view showing the comb-sections collapsed and inclosed within a casing. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of a cover for the casing. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of casing.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of -jacent edge of the tubular back.

escope, and therefore the following description of the general construction of each section is applicable to all of the sections. Each section consists of 'a tubular back 1 which is open longitudinally throughout one side from 7 end to end of the back, with a series of teeth 2 of the'usual form depending from the lower side of the tubular back at the edge of the longitudinal opening therein. teeth begins at what will be termed the outer end of the section and terminates short of the opposite section in order that the successive series of teeth may come into proper relation when the comb is set up for use. It will of course be understood that the tubular backs of the comb-sections decrease regularly in diameter from the inner section O to the outer section A, so as to permit telescopingthereof, and each series of teeth 2 extends from a pendent flange 3, with the flange of the comb-sections increasing inwidth from the inner section to the outer section, so as to compensate for the decrease in diameters of the backs of of the teeth into alinement when the comb is set up.

In addition to the telescoping engagement of the comb-sections there is also a tongueand-groove connection to limit the relative outward movement of the sections, and thereby prevent separation thereof. While various arrangements of tongues and grooves may be provided, I prefer to slot the intermediate section only and provide the terminal sections with tongues or projections for engagement with the corresponding slots of the intermediate section. The intermediate section is therefore provided in the top of its back with a longitudinal slot 4:, which we tends nearly the entire length of the section and terminates at its outer end in a transverse branch 5, leading outwardly or toward the ad- Another longitudinal slot, 6, is formed in the bottom of the tubular back at one side of the teeth and has a terminal lateral. branch 7 at that end of the slot which is opposite the branch 5 and directed in the same direction as said branch 5, or, in other words, toward the adjacent edge of the open-ended slot of the back. The

This series of inner comb-section C is provided upon its under side with an inner tongue or projection 8, located adjacent the outer end of the section and at one side of the row of teeth in position to engage the longitudinal lower slot 6 of the comb B when the inner end of the latter is thrust into the outer end of the comb-section C. The back of the outer comb-section A is provided upon its top with an external tongue or projection 9 to engage the slotL of the section B when the section A is thrust into the outer end of the section B.

With the comb-sections assembled as described and drawn out to theirlimits, with the projection 9 of the outer section A thrustinto the outer end of the branch 5 of the slot 4 and the projection 8 of the section C thrust into the outer end of the branch 7 of the slot 6,the comb-sections will of course be held against individual endwise movement and the several series of teeth will lie in longitudinal alinement with each section, abutting against the adjacent section, so as to form a continuous series of teeth, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2

of the drawings. It will now be understood that the series of teeth of the two outer sections terminate short of the inner end of said sections sufiiciently to permit of the proper lapping of the tubular backs of the sections and at the same time to bring the terminal teeth of the several sections into proper relation.

To fold or collapse the comb, the outer section A is rotated or turned so as to bring the projection 9 into alinement with the slot 4 and to move its series of teeth to a position in front of the series of teeth of the section B, whereupon the section A may he slid into the section B. After the sections A and B have been telescoped said sections are simultaneously turned so as to aline the slot 6 with the projection 8, whereupon the two sections A and B may be telescoped within the section 0.

As the present comb has been especially designed to be carried in a pocket of the clothing, it is proposed to house the entire comb when folded or collapsed so as to prevent injury to the teeth of the comb when carried in a pocket. To accomplish this feature, there is provided a case 10, which is closed at one end and open at its opposite end and has a substantially tubular or cylindrical back 11,

' within which the tubular back of the largest and innermost comb-section is adapted to telescope, the top of the back of the case being provided with a longitudinal groove 12 in the interior thereof for the reception of an external projection 13 upon the inner end of the comb-section (J, the forward end of this groove being provided with a lateral branch 14 to receive the projection 13 at the outer limit of the section C, so as to prevent entire separation' of the comb and the case. When the comb-sections are collapsed and housed within the case, said sections assume the relative position as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A suitable removable cover 15 is provided to close the open end of the case after the comb has been collapsed therein, and this cover has a peripheral flange 16 to snugly embrace the case and prevent accidental displacement of the cover. Should it be desired to have the comb entirely separate from the case, 1 propose to employ a case of the form shown in Fig. 5, and designated 17, wherein the groove 12 of the case 10 is omitted, and the combsections may be entirely removed from the case. This latter form of case is provided with a removable cover 18, similar to the cover 15.

The present form of comb may of course be made of any suitable material; but the tubular back thereof should have suiiicient flexibility to permit of a slight collapsing thereof in originally assembling the comb-sections, so as to permit of the projections 8 and 9 being entered in to the respective slots 6 and 1.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A comb comprising telescoped toothed sections, and means to prevent collapse of the sections when extended.

2. A comb comprising sections having substantially tubular telescoped backs provided with teeth, and means to prevent collapse of the sections when extended.

3. A comb comprising telescoped sections, each section having a tubular back provided with a longitudinal slot intersecting opposite ends thereof and having a series of teeth projected from one edge of the slot and working in the slot of an adjacent section, and one of the sections capable of being turned upon the other to move its teeth out of alinement with the teeth of the other section and thereby permit telescoping of the sections.

4. A comb comprising telescoped sections, each section having a substantially tubular back provided with a longitudinal slot intersecting its inner end and having a series of teeth projected externally at one edge of the slot, the series of teeth of the inner section working in the slot of an adjacent section and terminated short of the inner end of said outer section to permit lapping of the backs of the sections when extended, one of the sections capable of being turned to move its teeth out of alinement with the teeth of the other section and permit collapsing of the sections.

5. A comb comprising telescoped sections, each section having a substantially tubular back provided with a longitudinal slot and a series of teeth projected externally at one edge of the slot and working in the slot of an adjacent section, one of the backs being provided with a longitudinal groove, and the back of the other section having a projection working in said groove.

6. A comb comprising telescoped sections,

' each section including asubstantially tubular back having a longitudinal slot and provided with a series of external teeth at one edge of the slot and Working in the slot of an adjacent section, one of the backs having a longitudiranged substantially L-sh'aped slots, the intermediate section telescoping Within one of the end sections, said end section having an inner projection Working in one of the slots of the intermediate section, and the other end section telescoping within the intermediate'section and provided with an external projection Working in the other slot of the intermediate section.

8. A comb comprising slidably-connected toothed sections, one section having a sub-' stantially L-shaped groove and the other section having a projection slidable in the groove, one of the sections capable of an angular adjustment to bring the projection into the transverse portion of the groove to lock the sections against endvvise movement.

9. A comb comprising a series of slidablyconnected toothed sections, and a case having one of the end sections of the series slidably connected thereto, certain of themembers of the comb being provided With substantially L-shaped grooves and the other members being provided With projections Working in the respective grooves, and some of the sections having angular adjustments to bring the respective projections into the transverse members of the respective grooves to lock the members against endWise movement.

10. Acomb comprising a case having an internal substantially L-shaped groove, an inner comb-section telescoped Within the case and provided with an external projection Working in the groove, and another combsection telescoping Within the inner section and provided with a projection andgrooved slidable connection therewith.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own 1 have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

NOAH THOMAS.

Witnesses:

H. H. WINSHIP, WILLIAM WILLIAMS. 

